Abstract

J. Barry, P. Airey, G. Pantelis, R. Szymczak and M. Zaw

The transport of sewage and associated contaminants in the coastal marine environment has become a topic of important study as pollution loads rise with population and industrial growth. The aggregation and disaggregation behaviour of organic particles plays an important role in determining the transport and ultimate fate of these discharges.

Here we describe an empirical mathematical model, developed to provide a first order approximation for controlled laboratory observations of the behaviour of sewage particles in natural waters, which accounts for the time dependent changes in particle sizes for varying water salinity levels.

The model is based on particle kinetic equations for 42 different particle sizes and 6 salinity levels. The model is achieved by parameterising the 42 coupled particle kinetic equations. In order to make the problem practical, the number of parameters are reduced from of O(422) to approximately 30 for each level of salinity. This requires many assumptions. The methodology in achieving this gaol will be described and the performance of the model in fitting data from a laboratory study presented.

The model is suitable for interfacing with hydrodynamic transport codes dealing with sewage pollution in coastal marine environments.

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